


The Bruises Are Like Gifts

by Silky_John



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: But you need to squint just a bit, Female My Unit | Byleth, M/M, Mentioned My Unit | Byleth, Minor Marianne von Edmund/Hilda Valentine Goneril, THAT'S a much better tag, i want to tag this as smut but it's really not, implied sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2020-11-24
Packaged: 2021-03-10 07:49:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27699908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Silky_John/pseuds/Silky_John
Summary: It's not that there's a shortage of competent and trustworthy healers at Garreg Mach Monastery, but Claude's first choice will always be Marianne; she never asks about the bites and marks (and he's curious as to why, in totally typical Claude fashion)OR:Hilda isn't paid enough to deal with boys distracted by each other's presences, Dimitri and Claude use the wrong set of spears in the training hall, and Marianne is Claude's trusted physician (and gives him solid sex/romantic advice, in totally non-typical Marianne fashion).
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan, Hilda Valentine Goneril & Claude von Riegan, Marianne von Edmund & Claude von Riegan
Comments: 10
Kudos: 52





	The Bruises Are Like Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> GUESS WHO'S PROCRASTINATING WORKING ON THEIR AU BY WRITING OTHER STUFF?
> 
> GUESS WHO'S TRYING TO REINTRODUCE THEMSELF TO SMUT-WRITING AGAIN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 5 YEARS?
> 
> It's me, John (Silky, James, call me any of these names lol). I am the clown.
> 
> Just real quick (I mean REAL quick) this work is loosely, VERY loosely, connected to [this other one right here.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/27545731) 500 words there abouts, go check it out if you'd like.
> 
> Lol, anyway, as mentioned in the tags (which you should make a habit of reading, yeah) this is ummm not smut. In fact, idk what to describe this as, just know that there's a part that's sexually charged and feel happy.
> 
> Idk, Dimiclaudes are my go-to when I'm really sitting on another work of mine (and in this case I'm sitting on 3, yay me).
> 
> Btw the title of this is definitely from a Lorde song, I'm not going to tell you which one cause I'm special like that. I chose the lyric for it's meaning as a phrase, and not because the whole song resonates with this.
> 
> Oh yeah, I kind of edit stuff on my own so if I missed any mistakes, sorry (also, please point them out).
> 
> With all that out of the way, please enjoy.

Claude is polishing off his close combat skills with Hilda ("The sky isn't where you'll always be, Claude, have you seen the Empire's ballistae?") when a certain blond walks into the training hall.

He'd thought that the little romps in the forest would help reign his lust for Dimitri, but all they had done was whet Claude's appetite for more one-on-one time with him.

Hilda takes his distraction as the perfect opportunity to strike his side, and Claude hisses, feeling the beginnings of a bruise.

"Stop trying to disrobe him with your eyes, Claude," Hilda whispers to him as he reassumes his stance.

"I'm not doing anything of the sort," says Claude as Hilda hefts her axe onto her shoulder and rolls her eyes. 

They resume, but since Claude can't bring himself to fully concentrate, he uses what little of his focus he has left to dance around Hilda's swings. A shudder runs down his spine when he feels Dimitri's gaze on him.

Eventually, Hilda gives a huff, pink eyes shining with a fond sort of frustration. 

"Why don't you have a match with him instead?" she says, amused.

With that, Hilda replaces her axe on the rack in the corner of the hall and leaves, laughing silently to herself.

Green eyes meet a single, stunning, blue. "Well," says Claude, "why don't we spar?"

***

Half an hour later, Claude finds himself with his arms wrapped around Dimitri's shoulders; the blond's mouth at the crook of his neck, biting and sucking.

He doesn't know why they keep meeting like this, and he couldn't even begin searching for answers; not with how amazing and right it feels to move against Dimitri like this.

Claude leaves the hall trying his best not to walk like a new-born foal (judging by the look on Byleth's face when he walks past her, those efforts are in vain).

***

Claude doesn't like it when he gets hurt, not because of the pain (though pain isn't something he particularly likes) but because he isn't proficient enough with magic to care for his injuries, and poorly attended to injuries are not a thing one can afford in the middle of a war.

This means vulnerability; him taking of his garments (his many hidden weapons, the small blades in the lining; his _protection_ ) in front of someone else, and that isn't something he likes having to do.

It isn't as if there's a shortage of healers Claude trusts, but there are situations in which he simply doesn't want to be nagged at by healers, with the exception of one.

While Byleth's precision is something he appreciates, he can always feel the way her eyes trace the marks that were _definitely_ not from battle or practice, the way she'd watch as he tried his hardest to move as if he hadn't been impaling himself on Dimitri a few moments before that one.

"How comfortably can you ride your wyvern right now, Claude?" Byleth always asks.

Manuela has the most tools at her disposal, and while magic is an efficient thing, Claude appreciates the practicality of tangible things such as balms. His preference in method of treatment, however, is not enough to make him take of his clothes and put up with the incessant teasing ("Ooh, Claude, why don't you invite me to one of these 'sparring sessions' one day? I'm sure I can liven things up.").

There's a certain comfort to knowing that Mercedes will always welcome him to a cup of tea and a few treats every time she tends to him, he's just never been prepared for any of the ensuing conversation that would likely have Dimitri as the focal topic.

All this leads to Claude sitting on Marianne's bed, his back to her.

He trusts Marianne, of course. He trusts in the quiet determination she's nurtured, her silent passion and devotion. 

Marianne never asks about the bites, and Claude feels she knows something he doesn't. He never asks, but it's not as if he isn't tempted to, and today... the temptation gets the better of him.

"You never ask about these," he says silently. Claude turns his head slightly, and from the corner of his eye he sees Marianne raise her eyebrows slightly.

"The bites," Claude elaborates, and she nods. 

She continues working on the bruises Claude had received from Hilda's brutish strength ("a delicate flower, Claude") and the silence marches on. 

Marianne eventually sits beside Claude, clearly done with tending to his body. He puts his pants back on and then sits, not bothering with his shirt.

"You know," Marianne says quietly, "it reassures him every time he sees them."

Claude sees it in Marianne's eyes, an understanding for Dimitri. He'd always found it such a wonder, the friendship between Dimitri and Marianne (and Dorte, apparently).

Amicable silence fills the room, and the Marianne continues.

"It's a comfort to him... he sees the marks as a reaffirmation that you are his to love, though he still believes that you're too good to be his..."

Marianne turns to look at Claude. "He sometimes feels ashamed about what he perceives as selfishness and possessiveness over someone he thinks he doesn't deserve... have you ever–"

Hilda walks in, and Marianne stops and gives her a smile. She gives Claude's naked torso a once-over, and then turns to Marianne and smiles back brightly.

Marianne's smile brightens even more as Hilda comes up to where she's seated on the bed and sits next to her, taking her hand.

Claude puts on his shirt, sensing that this is the perfect opportunity to evade certain questions from a certain individual, when the individual he's trying to avoid speaks.

"Is that the result of your little sparring match with his highness?" Hilda drawls.

"Of course," answers Claude, unsurprised that he hadn't been able to escape in time,"you should see how much he's improved with his spear." 

Claude tries his hardest not to laugh when he notices the double meaning in his statement, but Hilda's giggles make it extremely difficult.

Eventually, the laughter stops and Hilda falls back onto the bed. Claude takes this as his cue to leave the room.

He's mildly surprised that Marianne follows him to the door. He stops just outside of it and turns to face her.

"Have you tried it before?" Marianne asks gently, "biting him; leaving marks of your own?"

Well... he hadn't expected that. Claude clears his throat and shakes his head. "Why?"

Marianne smiles at him. "Right now, I'm sure he'd appreciate a mark from you more than he would words."

With that, Marianne closes the door to her room, and Cluade heads to his own, lost in thought.

He'd never thought that he'd see the day Marianne would give him advice on his very _intimate_ relationship with Dimitri.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Marianne a lot, and I know I'm a day late, but happy birthday to the girl with the most beautiful and gentle smile.
> 
> I also love the relationship between Dimitri and Marianne, whether platonic or romantic, so yeah.
> 
> Just a quick sidetrack, I feel Jeritza would be able to empathize with Dimitri, but that they'd kill each other before ever bearing their hearts to each other??? Meh.
> 
> Next time I'll write something shorter and a bit more exciting (yes, it's a promise) and... IT WON'T BE A PROMPT OF MY OWN, yay. After that, something for the Au, then something pokemon or something xc2.
> 
> Leave a comment (yeah, really like seeing those), [and definitely come find me here](http://sylkhi.tumblr.com) or [here](https://twitter.com/JamesDo86705394s=09) if you want to talk more.
> 
> As Always, Love,
> 
> John.


End file.
